Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. Reduces Holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. $MRK

Key Points

• Wilkins Investment Counsel reduced its Merck position by 6.1% in Q4, selling 16,351 shares to hold 250,356 shares worth about $26.35M, making MRK its second-largest holding (~3.8% of the portfolio).
• Q1 results beat expectations: Merck reported $16.29B in revenue and adjusted EPS above estimates, issued FY‑2026 guidance of $5.04–$5.16 EPS, but recorded a GAAP loss driven by a Cidara-related charge.
• Notable insider and institutional activity: Insiders sold roughly 320,176 shares (~$38.3M) in the last three months while major institutions (e.g., Vanguard at ~254.3M shares) continued to adjust positions; institutional ownership is about 76%.

Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Free Report) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 250,356 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,351 shares during the quarter. Merck & Co., Inc. accounts for approximately 3.8% of Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Wilkins Investment Counsel Inc.'s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $26,352,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. DLD Asset Management LP raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 30.1% during the third quarter. DLD Asset Management LP now owns 47,500,000 shares of the company's stock worth $3,986,675,000 after acquiring an additional 11,000,000 shares in the last quarter. Jennison Associates LLC bought a new stake in Merck & Co., Inc. during the fourth quarter worth $585,192,000. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in Merck & Co., Inc. by 16.6% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 19,844,936 shares of the company's stock worth $1,665,585,000 after acquiring an additional 2,821,766 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 20.7% in the third quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 15,933,909 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,336,877,000 after purchasing an additional 2,735,459 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 254,322,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $26,770,014,000 after purchasing an additional 2,185,853 shares during the period. 76.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

Shares of MRK opened at $112.30 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The company's 50-day moving average is $117.69 and its 200-day moving average is $107.54. Merck & Co., Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $73.31 and a fifty-two week high of $125.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $277.36 billion, a PE ratio of 31.63, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.19.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The company reported ($1.28) EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($1.47) by $0.19. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 13.59% and a return on equity of 26.84%. The business had revenue of $16.29 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.85 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $2.22 earnings per share. Merck & Co., Inc.'s revenue was up 4.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Merck & Co., Inc. has set its FY 2026 guidance at 5.040-5.160 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 4.9 EPS for the current year.

Trending Headlines about Merck & Co., Inc.

Here are the key news stories impacting Merck & Co., Inc. this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations — Merck posted revenue and adjusted EPS above Street forecasts with Keytruda and Winrevair driving growth; the beats and upbeat commentary lifted investor sentiment. Merck tops Q1 estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Regulatory approvals & pipeline progress expand addressable markets — Merck won FDA approval for a new 2‑drug HIV regimen (IDVYNSO) and EC approval for ENFLONSIA for RSV prevention; the company also dosed the first patient in Phase 3 enpatoran lupus trials, adding long‑term growth optionality. Merck expands beyond oncology
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst action mixed — Wells Fargo trimmed its price target to $145 but kept an Overweight rating, signaling continued confidence despite a modestly lower PT. Wells Fargo lowers PT
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance and outlook — Merck provided EPS guidance of $5.04–$5.16 and a narrowed sales view ($65.8B–$67.0B). Guidance is close to consensus but tighter ranges mean less revenue upside visibility near term. Merck Q1 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — Biotech peers are mixed (Moderna saw vaccine revenue rebound but its stock fell; Organon missed), so some moves reflect broader healthcare rotation rather than Merck‑specific news. Moderna Covid vaccine drives growth
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition-related charge produced a GAAP loss — A Cidara-related charge drove a quarterly GAAP loss, which clouds headline profitability despite the operational beat. Merck posts quarterly loss due to Cidara charge
• Negative Sentiment: Longer-term growth risks flagged — Coverage noted potential future pressure from lost sales on some products (e.g., competitive threats to Keytruda, HPV and diabetes medicines) and Merck said it is working on mitigations. That risk keeps some investors cautious. Merck stock falls after earnings

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Richard R. Deluca sold 37,685 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.92, for a total value of $4,556,870.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 160,174 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,368,240.08. This represents a 19.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Robert M. Davis sold 47,434 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.04, for a total transaction of $5,599,109.36. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 443,602 shares in the company, valued at $52,362,780.08. This trade represents a 9.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold a total of 320,176 shares of company stock valued at $38,281,735 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.17% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on MRK shares. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Barclays started coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Friday, February 20th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $140.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $142.00 price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $150.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $128.18.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

Merck & Co, Inc is a global biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and animal health products. Its portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas with a particular emphasis on oncology, vaccines and infectious disease, as well as therapies for metabolic and chronic conditions. Among its well-known products are the cancer immunotherapy Keytruda (pembrolizumab) and the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil; the company also markets a range of medicines and vaccines for veterinary use through Merck Animal Health.

Founded in the late 19th century as the U.S.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.